Archaeology is about understanding people in the past from what they
have left behind. Objects inform us about how people lived, what they
made and what they were used for. There has often been a view that there
are no archaeological finds in the north-west. However, through the work
of the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the display of existing museum
collections, this traditional view is being challenged. By looking at
objects discovered in Cumbria, and recorded by the Portable Antiquities
Scheme, we can discover and demonstrate the continuity of activity
within this county. Cumbria has revealed the longevity of its past
through a range of both functional and decorative objects. Objects were
made and traded from the Copper Age, through the Bronze Age and into the
Iron Age and Roman periods; further objects show Early Medieval activity
and Post-Medieval artefacts reveal long journeys of religious pilgrimage
and persecution. 50 Finds from Cumbria invites us to look at the
continuity of our past using intriguing archaeological finds to
illustrate what has previously been hidden away.